Well?
by IHeartWords
Summary: A few short stories beginning with the word: "Well?" Marauder era. A few people have some questions for James and Lily. Fluffy, and with excessive Snape-love.


**A few short stories beginning with the word : "Well?" Marauder era.**

* * *

"Well?" demanded Sirius, wand abandoned, textbook thumped indignantly with his fists. "How did it go?"

James was practicing being an enigma, and looked blankly at his transfiguration homework.

"How did what go?" he answered mildly.

"Your _bloody_ date with Lily _bloody_ Evans!" Sirius all but howled, causing a frightened squeak from the girl behind him, who only a minute ago had been sighing wistfully at his back.

"Yeah, James," Peter leaned in eagerly, "Where did you go?"

"Never mind where he bloody went!" Sirius pointed at James accusingly. "Did you kiss her, or what?"

James merely hummed contentedly into his textbook, apparently oblivious.

"Yeah, James, did you?" Peter giggled, earning a scornful look from Sirius.

"Why the silence?" Sirius demanded, taking his frustration out on the rat he was transfiguring, which consequently smoked mournfully at the ears, causing Peter to whimper quietly with empathy. "Well? Did you get _further_?" He grinned wickedly.

"Sirius!" Remus sounded shocked. He cleared his throat, aware that he didn't usually join in such conversations. Wisely, he left them up to Sirius. "It was only their first date." He added primly, quavering slightly under Sirius' derisive stare.

James continued smiling blandly, wafting smoke away from their whimpering rat.

"Exactly!" Sirius said triumphantly. "First date. Exactly. We've been waiting for this day for, oh, how many years?"

"At least four." James added mildly, grinning.

"At least!" Sirius thumped his textbook again. "So you can bloody well tell us what bloody happened!"

"Oh, you know." James said in an unremarkable tone, grinning broadly nonetheless. "The usual."

"Oh, come _on-_" Sirius all but wailed, shaking James by the arm in desperation. "Did you kiss her? _Did you_?"

Peter giggled. "Yeah, did you kiss her?"

"See, you've got Pettigrew all excited." Sirius grinned winningly at Peter, who flushed scarlet. "You ever kissed a girl, Pettigrew?"

"Plenty." Peter mumbled.

"I'm sure." Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Your track record's probably better than old Snivellus here though, eh?"

Across the desk, Snape shot daggers at Sirius.

"Hardly." He snarled, glaring at Peter.

"Oh, do tell us of your romantic exploits, Snivellus!" Sirius leant forwards enthusiastically, his eyes glittering wickedly. "Whose the lucky girl? Care to drop some names, Snivelly?"

"That's none of your business." Snape snapped, this time, glaring at James. "But for what it's worth, I _highly doubt_ Potter so much as kissed Lily." He slammed his book closed with a snarl. "She's better than that." James looked at him, raising an eyebrow as the Professor dismissed the class with a small nod of the head.

"Is she really?" He smirked, gathering together his books. "Funny, that…" James scratched his head in mock-consideration. "Agree to disagree, eh, Snivellus?" And with a wink and broad grin, James left the classroom, followed by catcalls and whistles.

* * *

"Well?" A voice said suddenly, rousing Lily from her half-sleep. "We've resisted all evening, Lils, and we can't resist any longer. For God's sake, tell us about your date with the infamous Potter!"

Lily grinned into the darkness.

"What do you want me to tell?"

"Is it official?" She heard Alice's voice ask, and the sound of rustling sheets told her everyone was now sat bolt upright, all ears. Typical, she grinned.

"You mean, are we…?"

"You tell me!" Alice demanded, laughing.

"I think so."

"You _think_?"

"Well," Lily said, "We went out. So I guess, yes, it is official."

"About time!"

"He's been trying long enough-"

"Is he as cocky as he seems?" Alice cut through the voices.

"No!" Lily said emphatically, to rippling laughter.

"Whipped!" Another voice rang out triumphantly. "Lily, you've tamed Potter!"

"Hardly."

"Oh, don't deny it. He's a changed man."

More laughter.

"I don't think that was me." Lily said, grinning herself. "I think he just grew up."

"Or realised he was _never_ going to get in your pants unless he got himself some integrity."

"Hey!" Lily sat up, indignant. "Who said that?"

Only peals of laughter.

"And he hasn't got into my pants." Lily added stubbornly, "Before any of you spread something."

"Wouldn't be me doing the _spreading, _would it?!" Someone shrieked raucously.

Lily groaned into her pillow as the girls around her collapsed into hysterics.

"Don't be offended, Lils," Alice grinned from besides her. "We don't really expect that of our Head Girl. You've got integrity."

"Thanks, Alice."

"But… I am curious…" Alice propped herself up on one elbow. "What did happen? Did you kiss him?"

Everyone simultaneously stopped laughing and listened intently, making Lily acutely aware of the answer expected of her.

"Look, don't you all have lives of your own to run?" Lily said sheepishly. "Just… leave me be. Go away. I'm not 12 anymore."

"Someone's touchy!" Alice remarked, grinning. "But is that a yes?"

"It's an 'I'm tired and want to go to sleep'. So stop being nosy." Lily buried herself grumpily in her pillow.

"Aww, come on Lils." Alice protested. "We're just inherently nosy females, you know how it feels!"

Lily grinned. "I do indeed. Talking of nosy, Alice - where _were_ you last night?"

The others giggled quietly into their covers, whilst Alice primly rearranged her pillows.

"I was downstairs, with Frank. But before you start making any suggestive comments - " It was too late for that, it seemed, but with a wry smile, Alice persevered. "- it wasn't anything like that, and at least I'm _honest_."

"Fine!" Lily sighed in exasperation, taking the hint. "Yes, then. Yes I did."

She could sense Alice's broad grin through the darkness.

"And?" Alice prompted wickedly.

"And what?" Lily said wearily. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. End of discussion, goodnight."

"Fine, be a clam." Alice conceded, smiling. She had got what she wanted, after all. "But this isn't over, Lily Potter!"

"It bloody well is."

Alice and the others laughed, each now sleepy and only too willing to follow Lily's advice. For a while, they all lay together, in various stages of sleep.

"Lily?" Alice murmured, reaching out to touch her friend's bed. Lily stirred, the others' breathing told her they were asleep.

"Yes?"

"How much do you like him?" Alice whispered. "In the way that matters?"

"I…" Lily bit her lip. "Early days, isn't it?" She laughed nervously.

"I don't know… I don't think it matters."

"Well, in that case…" Lily smiled shyly across the beds. "I think, quite a lot. Maybe…"

"Maybe…?"

"Well, you know. Let's wait and see." Lily said, ever the voice of reason. "What about Frank?"

"Same." Alice whispered. "A lot."

"More than… like?"

"I don't really want to consider it, in a way." Alice tugged at her sheets uncertainly. "I feel too young, or, at least, everyone says I am. I try to act my age. So for now, maybe, I've got to just "like" him a lot."

"No." Lily murmured, drowsy.

"No?"

"You're never too young." Lily whispered into the darkness, reaching out to clutch Alice's hand. "Never."

* * *

"Well?" Snape demanded anxiously, clutching frantically at Lily's arm. She pulled away slightly, worrying him. It had been touch and go for him to even convince her to meet him here. He didn't want to ruin it. He let go of her arm, feeling guilty. "Sorry."

"It's alright. But what?"

"Potter?" Snape asked meekly, trying to keep the hatred from his voice. "They're saying you're…" He couldn't bring himself to say it without snarling with disgust.

"Yes." Lily said coldly, folding her arms. "Have you got a problem with it?"

"It's your choice." Snape said quietly, scowling slightly. "I just wanted to hear it from you, that's all."

"Thank you, Severus." Lily sounded genuinely surprised. "I had expected a hate rant."

"Oh."

"I suppose it's not just James who has grown up."

Snape tried not to bask in the praise, somewhat unsuccessfully.

"He is a little better, I suppose." Bitterness was thick on his tongue.

Lily grinned. "Quite."

"Well," Snape said, agitated, and aware that before long she would make her excuses and their mutual friendship would again be a memory. "Do you love him?"

"Severus…" Lily said, uncertainly and uncomfortable. "I hardly think I should be expected to know-"

"Wrong." Snape snapped. "You either do or you don't. Straight away."

"You think?"

"That's the easy part." Snape scowled, pointing his wand violently at an unlucky mosquito.

"Don't." Lily said, annoyed, reaching up to push his hand down. "And yes, by the way." She blushed slightly, looking nervous.

"You do?"

"Yes, and it's terrifying."

"Why?" Snape hoped beyond hope for tales of abuse, rape, assault. Anything.

"I'm 17." Lily bit her lip. "That's not really old enough, is it?"

"It could've been younger." Snape added darkly.

Lily sighed, turning away to stare across the lake.

"Does he make you happy?" Snape asked, grudgingly.

"Yes."

Severus didn't answer that one. It was the indisputable truth, however hard it was to hear.

"Then," He said slowly. "I've lost you, Lily."

Lily looked back towards him, not as angry as he had expected, only sad.

"I think that happened 2 years ago, Sev." She said quietly. Snape bowed his head.

"It kills me," He said, equally quietly, but with an odd edge of scorn to his voice, "To think of alternative futures."

Lily looked at him sadly. "Don't, Severus - " She began, seeing with perfect clarity where he was going with this, and she didn't like it.

Snape ploughed onwards. "If I hadn't said this, if I hadn't done that, would we still have been friends?" He stood up and began to pace, agitated. "What should I have done?"

Lily tried desperately to steer the conversation away from this dangerous point. "It's funny, Sev, you're such a closed book most of the time. We barely even speak anymore." She glanced up at him nervously. She was to blame for that. "I don't really know you, now. So why do you open up to me like this?"

Snape looked at her with frustrated misery. "Don't you know?" He said quietly, growing increasingly angry and clenching his fists. "Or are you really that stupid?"

"Please, don't do this, you know I can't-"

"What about me?" Severus slumped to the floor again, snarling. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I- I don't know-"

"Stand by and watch-"

"Then don't watch!" Lily snapped, and Snape was touched to see her eyes were filled with tears.

"My pleasure." He snapped, his fingers wrapped around his wand. Lily leant back against the tree, letting her hair fall in front of the falling tears. Snape pointed his wand venomously at another unfortunate insect, disgusted by his behaviour yet seemingly unable to behave courteously to possibly the one person he actually cared about. As Lily let her head fall into her hands, he cautiously put one hand on her shoulder. Hardly surprisingly, she shook it off.

"Lily." He said softly, knowing he was pushing her limits, and hating himself for it, "In another life, we would've been so good."

"I would've loved you as a friend." She murmured. "I've missed you."

Snape inhaled sharply.. "I didn't mean as a friend-"

"I know." She whispered thickly, attempting to cover his mouth.. "But let's pretend you did." He grabbed his wrist and held it there for a moment, unable to believe that this was the end. Lily stared back at him, tears leaving sticky trails down her cheeks. She looked a little scared, and her arm was trembling. With a disgusted snarl, Snape dropped her arm and drew back.

He was not satisfied, and he never would be. But at least now, he knew, for certain. Lily had chosen James. It was inevitable, all along, but a fool could dream. The problem with that, however, was that it had always been that: a fool's dream. She was wiping away her tears now, and Snape wished he could offer her a handkerchief, but he neither owned one nor felt it was his place to comfort her. James was her shoulder to cry on now.

"Potter." He said, roughly, attempting to joke. "He'll hex me something horrid for making his girlfriend cry."

Lily smiled, shaking her head. "I've asked him not to hex you, and I trust you to do the same."

"If that's what you want."

"It is."

"Then I shall hone my skills on other victims." Snape said solemnly, and Lily laughed nervously.

"I do hope you're joking."

Snape smiled slightly unpleasantly, facing the other way. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her, and he hoped to keep it that way. He stood up, aware it meant he was letting go.

"Just promise me this makes you happy." He said bitterly, as she stood up besides him.

"I promise."

"Then we'll probably not speak again, I should expect." Snape cleared his throat.

"It's for the best."

"Indeed."

"Have a nice life." He meant it, even if he sounded angry.

Lily made as if to hug him, but restrained herself at the last moment, just grasped his hand, and squeezed it.

"Take care, Severus."

"You too." He managed a twisted smile. "And remember, you're too good for him."

Lily laughed, to his delight. He had made Lily Evans laugh. "And doesn't he know it!" She grinned, giving his hand one last squeeze, and then she was gone.

Snape stood, immobile, scowling out across the lake. Potter had won, and here he was, on Potter's victorious playing field. What now? He clenched his fists. He hadn't realised it, but he'd been waiting for this for years. Holding his breath, if you like, to see if Lily… inevitably, _when_ Lily… didn't choose him. And like a fool, he'd let it happen. Half sigh, half snarl, he turned away. Whatever happened hereon in, at least he had this moment, one last conversation with Lily, to treasure forever.

He supposed he could thank Potter for that.

* * *

**Well, I don't know where this came from! It started off as an amusing fic about how Sirius would take the news of Lily & James, and ended up somewhere a little more emotional. (I adore Lily/Snape. But what makes it so adorable is that it never worked. So I can't write AU, it just isn't as cute. And I also adore Lily/James. They're getting their own fic later!) I had some more little stories in there too, but I liked them too much and will make them into their own fics. Hence why there is no actual Lily/James interaction.**

Hope you enjoyed it! xox


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